Highway 373 contract to receive bids in May

Friday, March 13, 2009By Karen Hall, Staff Writer

The project to widen Mooresville Highway has been scheduled for a May 1st contract letting by the Tennessee Department of Transportation,

"That's the date we will open the bids and will be able to determine the low bidder," wrote TDOT spokeswoman B. J. Doughty in an e-mail. "After that, TDOT has 30 days to award the contract. Once that happens, it is usually six weeks before work would begin."

Doughty estimates that the widening will take two years to complete and notes that "the successful bidder will have a completion time in his bid."

When asked about stimulus money from the federal government for road construction in Tennessee, Doughty answered, "At this time, TDOT is still finalizing the list of projects eligible for stimulus money now that we know how much funds are available to Tennessee. We hope to announce that final list by the end of March or first week of April."

Access to the new Business Park and the town of Lewisburg from Interstate 65 will be improved by the widening of Mooresville Highway.

Doughty told the Tribune earlier that "the SR-373 Project is 3.893 miles long and extends from I-65 to east of SR-417 (West Ellington Parkway). The main section of the highway will be four lanes, not divided with a median. Additionally, "the project does extend 600 to 700 feet on the west side of I -65 and affects four pieces of property on that side. There are currently no plans to widen beyond this point."

TDOT confirms that all of the Right of Way acquisition has been completed.

The gas station/market at Exit 32 is now closed, and Doughty explains, "The project acquired all of the gas pumps and the underground fuel delivery system, and left no room for replacement, as the new Right of Way is only a few feet from one side of the building."